Paper feed system

Abstract

A paper feed system suitable for use with a patty making machine to provide paper for separating patties, including a stack of sheet-form paper having a deformable element on the side edge thereof, a paper hopper, and a guide on the inside surface of a sidewall of the paper hopper for engaging the deformable element. Two guides are provided, each on opposite sidewalls of the hopper, engaging deformable elements on opposite sides of the paper stack. Preferably, the guides are male guides extending from the sidewalls with the end adjacent to where the paper is dispensed thicker than the remainder of the guide to support the paper. The deformable elements cooperate with the guides so that the paper is deformed by an extreme bend, but not torn, when each sheet is dispensed from the hopper. A stack of individual sheets of paper usable with this system includes recesses on opposite sides of each sheet of paper, where the recesses receive the guides when stacked in the hopper. The paper is bent at an extreme angle when pulled free of the guides without tearing when the bottom-most individual sheet is dispensed from the hopper.

We claim: 
     
       1. A paper feed system suitable for use with a patty making machine to provide paper for separating patties, said patty making machine including means for selectively feeding sheet-form paper from said paper feed system to patties made by said machine, comprising: a stack of sheet-form paper having deformable arcuate notches in opposite side edges thereof;   a paper hopper having a front, a first sidewall, and an opposed second sidewall, the paper hopper being adapted to receive and temporarily retain the paper and adapted to dispense the paper from the front; and   means for engaging the arcuate side notches, the engaging means being male guides extending from the inside surface of the first and second sidewalls of the paper hopper and engaging said notches to maintain alignment of the stack of paper in the hopper and to force said paper to fold over at an extreme bend during dispensing of the paper.   
     
     
       2. A paper feed system suitable for use with a patty making machine to provide paper for separating patties, said patty making machine including means for selectively feeding sheet-form paper from said paper feed system to patties made by said machine, comprising: a stack of sheet-form paper having deformable arcuate notches in opposite side edges thereof;   a paper hopper having a front, a first sidewall, and an opposed second sidewall, the paper hopper being adapted to receive and temporarily retain the paper and adapted to dispense the paper from the front; and   means for engaging the arcuate side notches, the engaging means being male guides extending from the inside surface of the first and second sidewalls of the paper hopper and engaging said notches to maintain alignment of the stack of paper in the hopper, each of said male guides further having a proximal end adjacent to where the paper is dispensed tapered outwardly to support the paper thereon.   
     
     
       3. The paper feed system as defined in claim 2 further comprising means at the bottom of the paper hopper for supporting the paper at substantially the level of the proximal end of the guides to inhibit sagging of the paper therein. 
     
     
       4. A paper feed system suitable for use with a patty making machine to provide paper for separating patties, said patty making machine including means for selectively feeding sheet-form paper from said paper feed system to patties made by said machine, comprising: a stack of sheet-form paper having deformable arcuate notches in opposite side edges thereof;   a paper hopper having a front, a first sidewall, and an opposed second sidewall, the paper hopper being adapted to receive and temporarily retain the paper and adapted to dispense the paper from the front; and   means for engaging the arcuate side notches, the engaging means being associated with the inside surface of the first and second sidewalls of the paper hopper and having a segment adjacent to where the paper is dispensed that slopes toward the front of the hopper.   
     
     
       5. A paper feed system suitable for use with a patty making machine to provide paper for separating patties, said patty making machine including means for selectively feeding sheet-form paper from said paper feed system to patties made by said machine, comprising: a stack of sheet-form paper having a semicircular notch in each of the opposed side edges thereof;   a paper hopper having a front, a first sidewall and an opposed second sidewall, the paper hopper being adapted to receive and temporarily retain the paper and adapted to dispense the paper from the front; and   a guide projecting inwardly from the inside surface of each of the sidewalls, each guide being longitudinally disposed and semicircular in cross-section, said guides being received in the notches on the associated sides of the paper stacked in said hopper whereby said paper is deformed but not torn when each sheet is dispensed from the hopper, said guides further having proximal ends adjacent to where the paper is dispensed, said proximal ends being tapered to a greater front to back width than the remainder of said guides to support the paper thereon.   
     
     
       6. A paper feed system suitable for use with a patty making machine to provide paper for separating patties, said patty making machine including means for selectively feeding sheet-form paper from said paper feed system to patties made by said machine, comprising: a stack of sheet-form paper having a deformable element on the side edge thereof;   a paper hopper having a front, a first sidewall, and an opposed second sidewall, the paper hopper being adapted to receive and temporarily retain the paper and adapted to dispense the paper from the front;   a male guide for engaging the deformable element, said guide being associated with the inside surface of the first sidewall of the paper hopper and having a proximal end adjacent to where the paper is dispensed tapered outwardly to support the paper thereon; and   means at the bottom of the paper hopper for supporting the paper at substantially the level of the guide proximal end to inhibit sagging of the paper therein.